Amateur Gardening

“Whatever happened to the traditional front garden? One rarely sees them, as so many have been paved over for parking. Whilst I understand the practicality (and, in many urban areas, the need), it is a great shame for both environmental and aesthetic reasons. In some areas, there is now great concern about flooding, just because of this parking trend. The front of the house is the first glimpse anyone gets of your property, and a great opportunity to create a display that is welcoming, easy to maintain and environmentally beneficial. Is it possible to split the space — half for the car, and half for beauty and the environment? Why not give it some thought and check out Hazel Sillver’s great front garden ideas on page 28? They might inspire…

WE are at the time of year when the garden is growing well but is also potentially very vulnerable to a host of problems, exacerbated this year by the ferocious heatwave that hit in mid-July. The main culprits are pests, disease and drought, and together or individually, they can all wreak havoc in the garden. As well as causing plants to wilt and weaken, poor watering or prolonged dry spells, can cause nutrient deficiencies Symptoms include weak growth, spindly stems, poor fruiting and flowering and pale, yellowing leaves. Help plants recover by feeding once a month between April and the end of August with a general purpose fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 or Growmore. Don’t keep feeding into the autumn as the soft new growth generated will be vulnerable to damage during cold snaps. Weakened…

1Powdery mildew is common, caused by poor ventilation, overcrowding and inadequate watering. Remove affected leaves, and water consistently. 2Nutrient deficiencies often cause pale leaves and poor growth. Combat them by feeding with a general purpose fertiliser monthly from April to September. 3Earwigs will chomp your dahlias but they also prey on aphids, so catch them in upended plant pots stuffed with newspaper and release them where you have a problem with the pests. 4 Netting plants helps keep cabbage white butterflies away and there are organic sprays and deterrents to deal with caterpillars (you can pick them off too!). Wasps will parasitise and eat caterpillars.…

WHILE a greenhouse is an excellent addition to any garden, they can be plagued with problems in the summer – though none of them are insurmountable. Heat is the most obvious one, especially during a summer like this one when we are experiencing record-breaking high temperatures. At the time of writing the temperature in our greenhouse is 30°C/86°F and we are well past the hottest time of day. There are several problems when temperatures in the greenhouse reach uncomfortable levels. The first ones are obvious – scorched leaves and wilted plants, and then there’s glasshouse red spider mites that thrive in hot dry atmospheres. Shading the panes is a good start, either with netting or washable glass paint. Dampening the floor with water in the morning helps reduce temperatures and boost humidity,…

WATERING, and prioritising what needs the most hydration, is the cornerstone of a healthy summer garden. It is best done in the early morning and evening when it is cooler, and a generous soaking will do your plants more good than a quick sprinkle. Crops, containers and newly-planted trees and shrubs that are still getting established should be the first port of call for your watering can or hosepipe. Annuals will also thank you for a drink if they start to look limp. Plants in the soil need a generous soaking once or twice a week, and you should make sure the soil is properly saturated, the water reaching right down to the roots. This is much better than a light tinkle every couple of days, because if the water only wets the…

The best advice for containers and baskets is to feed and water frequently. During prolonged dry spells, they may need watering every day. Check moisture levels by sticking a finger into the compost – if it feels dry below the surface, that’s your cue to water. Feed every 10 days with a solution of liquid tomato fertiliser and deadhead plants regularly. Check for pests and diseases and remove plants that have died. Replace them if practical, but if not the remaining plants will soon fill the empty space. Plants that start looking poorly or seem to die suddenly may be under attack from vine weevil grubs, small creamy larvae that eat roots. These can be treated with a pesticide or biological control that parasitises the vine weevil larvae. Visit greengardener.co.uk for…